Sweden has decided to prohibit Chinese telecom vendors Huawei and ZTE from participating in its 5G network deployments.
In an official announcement, the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority cited concerns that the influence of China’s one-party state over private companies creates strong incentives for those firms to act in line with state objectives and the Chinese Communist Party’s national strategies.
The move follows growing pressure from the United States and other allies to exclude Chinese equipment from next-generation networks due to national security risks.
Heightened scrutiny of Beijing—over issues such as Hong Kong, the reported internment and “re-education” of Uighur Muslims, accusations of state-sponsored cyber activity, and the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic—has intensified calls to limit or ban Chinese-made telecom equipment.
Sweden has set a deadline of January 2025 for Huawei and ZTE gear currently used in its infrastructure to be removed.
A growing number of European countries have adopted similar measures to reduce dependence on Chinese telecommunications suppliers or ban them outright.
Earlier this year the UK allowed a limited role for Huawei in its 5G networks, a decision that drew sharp criticism from allies, several members of Parliament and human rights organizations.
Former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove told Sky News that Huawei is “not a sort of ordinary international telecommunications company” but rather closely entwined with the Chinese state, warning of the Chinese military doctrine that emphasizes a fusion of civilian and military capabilities.
As relations between London and Beijing worsened—and after US sanctions curtailed Huawei’s access to American technology—the UK carried out another security review and concluded the vendor posed unacceptable risk.
In July the UK announced a ban on purchasing Huawei equipment after 31 December 2020, and set a later deadline for full removal of existing Chinese kit in 2027, longer than the timeframe Sweden has chosen.
Bilateral ties between Sweden and China have also chilled in recent years, influenced in part by the case of Chinese-born Swedish publisher Gui Minhai. Sweden’s state-owned space company stated in September that it would no longer renew contracts with Chinese partners or accept new Chinese business, citing changing geopolitical conditions.
The UK has launched consultations with close allies—especially members of the Five Eyes intelligence partnership—to fund and procure alternatives to Huawei equipment. Sweden may now consider joining those collaborative efforts.
Meanwhile, Western vendors such as Nokia and Ericsson are increasingly stepping in to replace Huawei’s role in carrier networks, filling the gap left by restrictions on Chinese suppliers.
(Photo by Jonathan Brinkhorst on Unsplash)
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